Week 11 - ITF ($25K) - Clearwater, FL, USA - Hard

philwrig · Hall of fame

RE: Week 11 - ITF ($25K) - Clearwater, FL, USA - Hard

Julia Carrot · All-time great

Huh ! I've been checking ITF, USTA, TF blah blah half the eve, then got distracted.......... and hey presto someone posts it all here

philwrig · Hall of fame

steven wrote:
Doh! (I thought, when I saw the draw) but yes, you're right, after the last few weeks both of them getting to that QF match would be a mini-triumph in itself.

You're right about Laura's previous match against the Croatian, Mijacika (WR 208), who beat her 4-1 ret. in Wenshan.

Puchkova is WR 187 but was ranked as high as 32 in 2007 after reaching two WTA tour Finals in 2006, in which she suffered three bagels in 4 sets, first v Hingis in Kolkata (0 & 4) and then a double bagel loss (the first ever in a WTA Final) to Bartoli in Québec City.

I've suddenly remembered I actually stayed up to follow that match on Bet 365 at some ungodly hour of the morning, and for it to only last 5 games.

Peter too · Tennis legend

Pairings with rankings:-

R1: ROBSON, Laura (GBR) 4 121 v MIJACIKA, Ani (CRO) Q 208
R1: WATSON, Heather (GBR) 5 123 v PUCHKOVA, Olga (RUS) Q 187

Heather could meet a WC next or Lim, the girl who knocked Naomi out.
Laura has the prospect of meeting Meusburger or Zhang next.

If they both negotiate those opponents they meet in the QF.

philwrig · Hall of fame

Find it very strange that Hev and Laura are not playing doubles given their impending Fed Cup tie. Laura's ranking would have been high enough to get into the draw.

Jan · Hall of fame

3 mp's!

and she wins!! well done Heather

-- Edited by Jan on Tuesday 13th of March 2012 04:16:00 PM

steven · Tennis legend

Excellent Another of the Fed Cup team coming back into form at last - told you the Swedes had peaked too soon wink

-- Edited by steven on Tuesday 13th of March 2012 04:20:16 PM

indiana · Tennis legend

Hmm, good to see Heather get the win though I expected that she would against the WR 187 ( ranked very much higher in the past but her form over the last few years is in line with that ranking ).

I've never seen Heather as playing that badly this year, just looks missing something from her top level, so as I say I did expect this win. But again there is certainly nothing in the scoreline to indicate that she has found better form to what she was in.

So, kinda where we were. Sorry for not finding anything of particular note re today's win. It would have been more notable if she'd lost. If anything I would have hoped that it would be more clearcut.

Let's hope though she can pick up her form, play well in her next match, then hopefully play Laura and see them both showing at least more glimpses of their best form.

-- Edited by indiana on Tuesday 13th of March 2012 05:52:44 PM

steven · Tennis legend

Hev broke in the 1st game, got broken back, broke again, held serve and broke again for *4-1 (games 2-5 all going to deuce) but Puchkova has just got one of the breaks back. 4-2*

steven · Tennis legend

Puchkova's turn to win 3 games in a row

before Hev breaks again

- she is serving for the set at *5-4

steven · Tennis legend

6-4 Hev

Julia Carrot · All-time great

Yikes. I nearly missed this. Match of the day !!!

Jan · Hall of fame

didn't realise this was on so early! Come on Heather!

Julia Carrot · All-time great

Well , we're not helping much are we?

0 - 2* in the 2nd

steven · Tennis legend

Jan wrote:
didn't realise this was on so early! Come on Heather!

Yes, first on court coupled with the US clocks going forward a couple of weeks before ours do makes it a very early start in UK terms for a match in the US!